An echo-height study of certain mesoscale waves in the easterlies.

Abstract

The heights of convective precipitation echoes associated with certain mesoscale waves in the easterlies are studied using RHI radarscope data. Several stages of echo development are examined. Results of this preliminary study indicate a strong preference for the taller echoes to be oriented along and immediately to the rear of the wave axis for waves moving slower than a rather uniform basic current. This is analogous to the classical model of clouds for synoptic-scale waves in the easterlies and is in agreement with the theorem on conservation of potential vorticity. Suggestion is made that echo-height maps may be helpful in locating mesoscale waves in the easterlies of various wavelengths which could not be analyzed from conventional synoptic data.